


Escape From The Legacy

by DJE9020



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-10-06 13:42:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10335887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DJE9020/pseuds/DJE9020
Summary: SPOILERS: LegacyAfter Legacy, Daniel needs to get away.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Yuma, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [Stargatefan.com](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Stargatefan.com). To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [StargateFan Archive Collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/StargateFan_Archive_Collection).

Escape From The Legacy

##  Escape From The Legacy

##### Written by DoggyJ0525   
Comments? Write to us at [doggyj0525@yahoo.com](mailto:doggyj0525@yahoo.com)

  * SPOILERS: Legacy 
  * SUMMARY: After Legacy, Daniel needs to get away. 
  * PG [D] minor language, violence 



* * *

Daniel stood behind his friends, making sure Teal’c was going to be all right. As the big man finally showed signs of recovery, everyone else relaxed.   Daniel glanced around the infirmary.   Now was his chance, while everyone’s attention was on Teal’c. As soon as they were assured of his well being, they would turn their attention on him.   Again. He just didn’t think he could cope with that right now.   Slipping quietly from the room, he hurried to his office. Daniel sighed in relief when he saw his keys on the desk, right where he had left them.   He snatched them up and took the elevator straight to the top. He nodded to the airmen manning the secure entrance and headed out into the parking lot.

“Good night, Dr. Jackson.” One of the airmen called. Daniel waved, but did not pause for a second.

“Hey, didn’t they take him out of here on a stretcher just a couple of days ago?   I mean, wasn’t he…” the airman trailed off, waving his hand at his head.

“I don’t know. He came running in here with Col. O’Neill a few hours ago. No one’s changed his security clearance, and there are no special orders.   Go figure. This place gets screwier every day.”

Daniel hurried to his car, his shoulders hunched in anticipation of a huge hand coming to drag him back inside. However, no one had challenged him or tried to stop him. His hands were shaking so hard he had trouble getting his car unlocked. While waiting for Teal’c’s tests to come back, Dr. Fraisier had taken a few minutes to go over the medications Daniel had been given, and to discuss some of the side effects with him. He knew that the shaking was to be expected, but it still made him angry. No one had said anything about his driving, but he figured that must be because they really hadn’t had time to put all their restrictions on him. He pulled out of the security gate, and headed down the mountain.

Free! He was finally free, and alone. No one looking over his shoulder, no one shouting inside his head. Daniel relaxed for the first time in, it seemed like, forever. His eyes blurred for a moment, but Daniel shook his head to clear his vision. He was OK to drive, he had to be. He had to get away, from everyone, for a while.

**

Jack closed his eyes and sighed. Teal’c was OK. Daniel had been right all along. He was so going to have to eat this one, and try to make it up to Daniel. He turned.

“Good job, Dan…Daniel?”

Jack turned fully around. “Hey, where’s Daniel? Daniel!”   Everyone looked at him for a moment, then looked around the infirmary. No Daniel. “Crap!   Find him! Now!” Jack barked.

Sam grabbed the phone, and called the front gate. “Sir,” she turned, hanging the phone up, her eyes huge.   “He’s gone. He left about five minutes ago. In his car.”

“You’ve got to find him, Colonel,” Janet said earnestly. “He should not be driving, not with those drugs still in him. Besides, there’s the psychological and emotional fallout of this to consider.   This could be very serious.”

“This whole thing is serious, and has been seriously screwed up from the start!” Jack glared at Janet. “We’ve got to find him, Carter, fast.”

“But, Janet, he seemed fine in the control booth, earlier.”

“Sam, we all know how focused Daniel can be when he’s got a problem to solve, to the complete exclusion of his physical well-being. Now that the crisis is over, I’m afraid he’s going to crash, hard.”

“Of course, I’m with you, Colonel.”

Apprising Gen. Hammond of the situation, Jack and Sam made up a quick list of possible places for Daniel to go, and split up to look for him.

**

He checked that his gas gauge was full, just as he remembered.   Turning on the radio, Daniel found a station playing rock music from the 80’s and 90’s. Although he didn’t usually listen to it he found that it suited his mood for now. Daniel sped up, and approached the turn off into town. Without hesitation Daniel passed his turn and kept going onto the highway. He had gas, he had music, and he had to get away.

Daniel sped down the highway, slowing down occasionally as bouts of dizziness or nausea assailed him. It wasn’t bad enough to stop for, and the spells passed quickly. He noticed a couple of red lights come on his dashboard.   ‘Oh, great’, he thought, as he looked at the oil and engine lights. ‘What now?’

Trying to remember exactly what that meant, Daniel leaned over to open his glove box, looking for his owner’s manual. Just as he leaned over slightly, a wave of dizziness hit him.   Daniel swerved, and sat up quickly to look at the road. As luck would have it, at that moment he noticed the police car in the oncoming lane and dark smoke started pouring out from under his hood.

Daniel pulled over, stopped the car, and climbed out. The police car slowed, turned, and came up behind him, red and blue lights flashing. Daniel saw “Sheriff” printed on the side. ‘Better and better’, Daniel thought. A large, beefy, middle age man climbed out of the passenger seat, while the other officer remained in the vehicle, talking on the radio.

“Got some problem, there, son?” The man said.

“It would appear so,” Daniel replied.

The officer walked toward Daniel’s car. “You mind if I pop this hood?” he called.

“If you think it’s safe, be my guest,” Daniel said.

Once the hood was open, and flames were not obviously leaping from the vehicle, Daniel walked up to join the officer, glancing at his badge to see the name ‘Burton’ engraved on it. He stepped up beside Burton, who was staring at his engine. “Engine’s shot,” he said, not looking at Daniel.   “Gonna have to be towed, can’t leave it here.   Traffic hazard.” The officer stood up and looked Daniel full in the face.   “We can call a wrecker for you, if you want.”

“I guess you’ll have to,” Daniel said. “I don’t even know where I am, or what’s close by.”

Burton peered more closely at Daniel, noting the way Daniel was shifting nervously from foot to foot, and the shaking of Daniel’s hands. The other officer, younger but bigger, came up behind him. 

“Step over here, son, away from the traffic. Now, what did you say? You don’t know where you are?”

Something in his tone of voice made Daniel look up. “No, I didn’t notice the name of the last town I passed.”

“Well, where you going?”

“Nowhere. I was just…driving.” Daniel licked his lips nervously.

“How about I see some ID?”

Daniel reached for his back pocket, and then groaned mentally.   Although he had changed his clothes at the hospital when Jack had come to pick him up, Jack had just grabbed all his property in a bag, and he hadn’t gotten his wallet or anything back yet.

“I, uh, I don’t think I have my wallet with me.”

“Uh-huh. No license?   Nothing?”

A wave of dizziness hit Daniel, and he swayed. He closed his eyes until it passed. “No, nothing.”

“You OK? You sick, or on drugs, or something? You eyes are awfully big.” The two officers moved up on either side of Daniel.

Daniel edged away. “No, no, I’m Ok.   I mean, I do have a lot of drugs in my system, but I didn’t take them. They were given to me, in…I mean…” Daniel trailed off. This was going rapidly from bad to worse.

“’They’ gave them to you? Who did?   Where?” 

“I was in the hospital. For an evaluation, and I just got out. But I’m still just a little…”

“A little what? High?”

“No! It’s nothing like that. I didn’t _take_ the drugs, they kept giving them to me, I told them to stop, but they wouldn’t…” Even Daniel could hear the slightly hysterical note that crept into his voice.

“Son, why don’t you take a little ride with us?” Burton reached out a hand to Daniel. 

Daniel struck out at him. “No, leave me alone. I’m not going anywhere with you.” He tried to step away from the officers, but the younger one had gotten himself set up behind Daniel, anticipating such a move. In a very few minutes, Daniel found himself face down on the hot hood of the police car, his hands being cuffed behind him. He closed his eyes as he listened to his rights. At least, in this situation he thought ruefully, he had some rights.

“What, exactly, am I being charged with?” he asked as he was assisted into the back seat of the cruiser.

“DUI and no ID, for now.” Daniel sighed and leaned back in the seat, trying to find a comfortable position with his hands cuffed behind his back.

Daniel wiped the ink from his fingers. Of all the things that had happened to him in the past few days, being fingerprinted and photographed had not even phased him.

He had tensed up when he was searched, and tried to pull away.   Burton had put a hand on his shoulder, and said, not unkindly, “Son, you don’t want any trouble. We’re really tryin’ to help, you know. You were in no condition to be out there. Now just settle down and let us do our job. No one’s gonna hurt you here, OK?” He said it with such an air of confidence that Daniel actually believed him. He submitted to the search, which, although thorough, was nothing compared to what he had been subjected to in the hospital so recently.

“So, when do I get a phone call?” Daniel asked

“Just as soon as we get done with this paperwork, son. Now just take a seat over there, and be quiet.”

Jack’s cell phone rang. “Sir, we got a hit on Dr. Jackson. A local county Sheriff’s office ran a check on him, and his vehicle. They ran the full package, license, wanted, and history.   I can give you the location, if you like.”   Jack said a quick prayer of thanks to the computer program that allowed the federal government to monitor local law enforcement checks on top-clearance employees, all in the name of national security, of course. “Go ahead.”   He copied down the address and phone number of the Sheriff’s office, and asked for directions. 

“Hold on a minute, sir. There’s another call coming through for you. It’s Dr. Jackson.”

“O’Neill.”

“Jack, thank God. Look, I may have done something…stupid. But anyway, I need your help. I’ve…kinda been…arrested.”

“Arrested? For what?”

“Well, no ID, and DUI. But I’m not really, you know. I mean, I am, but not because of anything I took. You know, from the hospital. And I didn’t get my wallet back. So I’m really sorry I ran away like that, but I really need you to come get me.   OK? Please?”

As much as Jack wanted to reach through the phone and just choke the living shit out of Daniel, he could tell from his voice that Daniel was right on the edge. He was still suffering the aftereffects of the drugs, that, God help him, Jack felt responsible for, and now to be locked up again must be just about to drive Daniel…to a very upset state of mind.

“And Jack…my car blew up.”

“Your car blew up?!”

“I’ll explain it all when you get here.” Daniel’s voice sounded suddenly very small. “You will come get me, won’t you?”

“Daniel, I’m halfway there. Let me talk to the cops.”

“Sir, this is Colonel Jack O’Neill, with the US Air Force. The man you have in jail there is a civilian consultant to the Federal Government. This is a matter of national security. Do you have an isolation cell there? Good.   Put him in there, and no one, and I mean no one, is to talk to him until we come to pick him up. Is that understood? Good man, we’ll be there shortly. And, see if you can get him something to eat and drink, OK? Thanks.”

Jack hung up, and redialed the mountain. He caught Gen. Hammond up on recent events, and asked him to scramble a chopper and a contingent of SF’s to meet him at the Sheriff’s office.   Chances were, if they got the hit on the computer checks, NID did, too. He checked the directions the airman on base had given him, and floored the accelerator.

The man in uniform walked into the Sheriff’s office like he owned the place.   Three large men followed him, also uniformed. Walking up to the desk, the man in the lead said, “We’re here for Dr. Jackson.”

The Sheriff’s deputy jumped up. They had been expecting the Air Force personnel to show up since the phone call.   Dr. Jackson had been placed in the isolation cell, where he seemed to calm down, especially after he was brought a sandwich and some juice. His requests for coffee had been ignored, but otherwise he seemed fine.   “Follow me. So, is he someone special?” the young deputy on jail duty asked as he got the keys.

“Deputy, uh, Hanson, is it? The less you know, the better. And, we’ll have to see any reports you may have written.   As far as the government is concerned, this arrest, this whole incident, never happened. All records pertaining to this incident will have to be deleted and destroyed.” The deputy nodded nervously, and let the way into the cellblock.

He stopped in front of the cell holding Daniel. “Dr. Jackson, they’re here to pick you up,” he said, unlocking the cell.

“Oh, great.” Daniel stood up and started toward the door. The deputy stood aside, and the other man stepped into the doorway.   “Hello, Dr. Jackson.”

Daniel stopped, then began to back up. “Maybourne, what are you doing here?”

He turned to the deputy he could see just behind Maybourne. “These are not the right guys. I’m not going anywhere with them. Lock this door, now!”

“Now, now, Dr. Jackson. You’re still upset. Just calm down, and we will take you out of here. Don’t make a scene.” Maybourne turned to the deputy. “He’s been using some kind of experimental drugs, lately. We need to take him to the hospital. I was afraid this might happen.”

The deputy nodded. He had read the report, and had seen how upset this Dr. Jackson was when Burton first brought him in. He stepped aside, and wished Burton was here. The older officer always seemed to know how to handle a tense situation, but he had returned to his patrol after entering his arrest report.

Maybourne moved back. The three men that had accompanied him went into the cell. Hanson could hear Dr. Jackson screaming curses at the men, and peeked around the doorway just as two of the men grabbed Jackson’s arms and pushed him back against the wall. Jackson lashed out with his foot, planting a solid kick on the third man. That man swore, then stepped up and punched Jackson twice in the face. The deputy started forward, but Maybourne’s hand stopped him. He winced as he saw another hard punch to the stomach double Jackson over, then heard two more blows connect solidly. When he looked next, Jackson was sagging against the wall, head down, being supported by the two men on either side of him. The next he heard was Dr. Jackson’s voice, weak and breathless, “No, please. No more drugs.   Stop it. Maybourne, don’t let them…   Ow, no, don’t. Oh, God. Jack, where are you?”

One of the men came out of the cell, slipping a syringe back into his pocket.   The other two came out sideways, supporting the feebly struggling young man between them. As they passed Hanson, the man raised his head. “Tell Jack,” he mumbled, “tell Jack…” He stopped, obviously unable to remember what he wanted to tell Jack.

“Maybourne! What the hell is going on here? What’s the matter with him?”

Hanson had only been with the department a couple of years, but had already seen some scary sights in his days. He had faced down motorcycle gang members and deranged drunks with shotguns.   But nothing could compare with the look on the face of the man now standing at the entry to the cellblock.   It was Death, pure and simple.   Hanson edged away from him and headed for the Sheriff’s office in the back.

“Colonel O’Neill, as you can see, we have everything well under control here.   This potentially serious breach of national security is now being handled. By us.” Maybourne stepped around Jack, but came to an abrupt halt when faced by the four SF guards Jack had brought with him, complete with P-90 machine guns.

The men holding Daniel carried him past Jack into the lobby, but they also stopped when faced with the SF’s. In addition, several other officers who had been in the station were now waiting there, nervously, not sure whom they should support. “Put him down there,”    Maybourne said, pointing to a couch in the lobby. The men dumped Daniel on the couch unceremoniously and moved away.

Hanson came out of the back, followed by the Sheriff himself. He was a short, wide man, passing middle age, who looked like he could still wrestle a bear and win. “What the hell is going on here? Who are you people? And whose helicopter is that out front blocking my parking place?” he bellowed.

Jack and Maybourne both stepped up, ID’s in hand. Jack beat him to the punch. “Sir, I am Colonel Jack O’Neill. This man,” he pointed at Daniel, all but unconscious on the couch, “has been arrested by your department, who acted on good faith.   But with all due respect, sir, you don’t have all the facts, and you aren’t likely to get them. This whole incident is to be classified, but this man is under my command in the US Air Force as a civilian consultant, and I am taking him with me. Now.”

“Colonel O’Neill, you hospitalized him, you drugged him, and then you lost him. Don’t think we don’t know what’s been going on over there, lately. I don’t think you are competent to take him at this point.”   Maybourne smiled ingratiatingly at the Sheriff, ignoring Jack’s murderous glare. “If you will just examine my ID, sir, you will see…”

The Sheriff held up a hand, cutting Maybourne off. He sized up the two men standing before him. “You the guy that called about him?” he asked, looking at Jack. Hawkins had been an officer for a long time, and had developed that sixth sense that good cops always seemed to have. Instinctively, he liked O’Neill, and wouldn’t have trusted Maybourne as far as he could spit. “Civilian, you say?” O’Neill nodded.

“Well, as you fine gentlemen may know, being employees of the government and all that, civilians have certain rights in this country, and I am here to protect those rights.” He paused as Hanson stepped up beside him, and said something in a low voice that only the Sheriff could hear. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and his mouth turned down.

“Which one of you authorized a prisoner in my jail, MY jail, gentlemen, to be physically assaulted and drugged?” he roared.

“I knew you did something to him!” Jack exploded. Before anyone else could react, Jack had Maybourne up against the wall, his arm pinned across his throat. “What was it? I swear, if you’ve hurt him, there won’t be enough left of your sorry ass to ID!”

“Stand down!” barked the Sheriff. “This is my office! You there, step back.” The last statement was directed toward the men that had come with Maybourne, who had moved forward. The SF’s who had arrived in the chopper raised their weapons. “Everybody just calm down here.”

Jack dropped Maybourne with a disgusted look, and went over to the couch.   Daniel had curled on his side, arms holding his stomach. He eyes were half-open, watching the drama unfolding before him. “Daniel, you OK?   Did they hurt you?” 

“I’ve been better. Can I just go home now?”

“Soon, let me just get all this straightened out.”

“I’m sorry, Jack.”

“Later, just take it easy now.”

The Sheriff had moved over to the couch also, and was looking down at the miserable, beaten, drugged young man lying there. “Son, I’m Sheriff Hawkins. I don’t know what’s going on here, and I guess I never will get the whole story, although Burton told me something screwy was up. And I sure don’t like what I’m hearing right now.   I’m gonna leave some of this up to you.   You are still under arrest, and I can put you back in a nice safe cell, if you want. If you need a doctor, I’ll get you to a hospital.   If you want protective custody, I can arrange that.   I don’t particularly want to release you to either group here, there’s been too much talk of drugs for my liking, and I’m guessing you’re not a habitual user. If you don’t want to go with them, you don’t have to. I’ll see to it.”

“Jack, I want to go with Jack. He’ll take care of me. Please, I just want to go home.”

“If you’re sure, that’s good enough for me. You want to press charges against these others?”

Daniel shook his head, just as Jack said, “Hell, yes, he wants to press charges.”

The Sheriff shot him a dirty look, and ignored his outburst.

“You lot,” he pointed at Maybourne, “Out of my office, before I arrest you myself.”

Maybourne smiled thinly. “Sheriff, have you ever been under an FBI investigation?”

“Send ‘em on,” he replied. “I’m not afraid of them, and I’m not afraid of you.”

“Hey, hey,” Jack stopped them. “What did you give him?”

Maybourne looked at him for a moment. “Seconal,” he said, and left.

“You gonna need an ambulance?” Sheriff Hawkins asked.   Daniel shook his head.

“I need…I think I need to throw up.”

“You better do it now, before we get in the chopper,” Jack said.

“In there,” the Sheriff pointed out the men’s room. Jack and Hanson helped Daniel up and into the men’s room.   When they came back out a few minutes later, Daniel looked somewhat better. He was holding a wet paper towel to his face. Jack’s eyes had that killing look back in them.   Hawkins was betting he had gotten a good look at the young man’s injuries. He was glad he had run the other crew off, already. He really didn’t want to have to deal with the paperwork a multiple homicide right in the middle of his station would have caused.

Jack stuck out his hand, and the Sheriff took it. “Thank you,” Jack said, then, “let me guess. Marines?”

Hawkins grinned. “Semper Fideles.   Nothing against you fly boys, of course.”

One of the deputies came in, carrying a manila folder. He handed it to the Sheriff, who checked its contents, then handed it to Jack. “Here’s all your reports, mug shots, fingerprint cards, everything is in here.”

Jack took the folder, then turned to Daniel. “C’mon, Jailbird. Time to go.” Jack handed his keys to one of the SF’s, asking him to drive his car back to base.   Then he helped Daniel out to the waiting helicopter, strapping him in firmly.

The ride back to the base was quick, but not quick enough to prevent Daniel from falling asleep against Jack’s shoulder. Once they landed, Jack shook him gently to wake him up.

“Think you can walk in, or do I need to call for some help?”

“I want to walk. I suppose I have to go back to the infirmary, don’t I?” Daniel didn’t look at Jack, concentrating instead on climbing out onto the helipad without falling flat on his face. With a little help, he was able to accomplish that.

“Yeah, for a little while. I want Dr. Fraiser to take a look at you, and check out these new drugs.   Besides, I’m just angry enough with you for leaving that I want to stand there right beside her while she sticks you.”   Jack couldn’t resist a little bit of vindictiveness.

“Why do you think I left? I think I’ve been stuck about enough times, by now.” Daniel’s voice was dull, and he leaned wearily against the side of the helicopter, eyes closed, gathering his energy.

Jack regretted his flippant words instantly. There would be a time for recriminations later, now he just had to get his friend inside before he fell down. Jack snaked an arm around Daniel’s waist and together they started for the elevator down into the mountain.

Once in the infirmary, Daniel allowed himself to be guided past his waiting teammates to a bed, where he promptly collapsed.

He heard Dr. Fraiser’s voice. “You lot, get back. Just leave him alone for a while. Dr. Warner is going to take care of him.” Daniel didn’t even have the energy left to wonder at that, as he heard the curtain being pulled around him. In a moment, he sensed another presence near his bed.

“My, my, look what the cat dragged in.” Daniel opened his eyes, not believing that statement had come out of Dr. Warner’s mouth.

He smiled faintly. “Right now, I feel more like something the cat hacked up.”

“An apt description. Let’s get a look you here.” Dr. Warner competently turned Daniel’s head to look at the bruising that was spreading across his cheekbone. “Well, you’ll have a nice shiner there. Although it usually looks better on the Marines. And how’s your stomach? Any sharp pains?   Burning sensation? Dull ache?”

“Just a dull ache, I guess. Kinda sore.”

“That’s good. Diagnostically speaking, of course. Now, we need to get some blood from you. I hear you’ve had some recent additions to your pharmacology.” Dr. Warner lifted Daniel’s arm and turned it more toward the light. “Well, that looks fairly nasty, let’s look at this other one. Hmm, not much better, but I don’t want to go for the leg, not just yet. How about you?   Got a preference?”

“Um, I don’t know, left I guess.”

“Ok, here goes.” Daniel didn’t even flinch as Dr. Warner took his blood samples. He lay there quietly, thinking how odd this seemed.   Usually, when he was in the infirmary, there were so many other people there; Dr. Fraiser, the nurses, technicians, and always one or more team members. The silence was almost eerie.

Dr. Warner stepped out of the flimsy enclosure, and Daniel became aware of faint sounds. Ah, there they were, the voices of his teammates. He was comforted by the sound, but glad that they were still at a distance.   He could just make out Dr. Fraiser’s words. “You have to give him some time, and space. No wonder he bolted. Don’t hover over him, asking how he’s feeling, and if he’s ok. I’ll tell you right now, he’s not ok, and he feels horrible.   So don’t press him. Later, maybe, in a few days, but not now.   Think about how we all feel, and we don’t have the drugs to contend with. Just be there for him, talk if he wants to, be quiet if he wants that.   It’s ok; he’ll talk when he’s ready.   We all will.”

He heard her footsteps approaching.   “Daniel,” she said. He didn’t open his eyes. “Daniel, I have a few things to say to you, and you need to listen.” 

Daniel did open his eyes this time, and looked sideways at her, but didn’t say anything. She pulled up a chair and sat down next to him.

“First of all, I’m not going to keep you here, in the infirmary.   We’ll figure out somewhere else for you to go.   Secondly, I am not going to ask you how you feel. I’m going to tell you. You have a headache, and you’re nauseous and dizzy. You feel tired, down beyond your bones. You’re still confused, and somewhat anxious, but you don’t know why.   You may feel scared or sad, for no reason.   Your emotions are raw, right on the edge. You feel like you could break into laughter or sobs at any moment, and if anyone pushes you, you feel like you might shatter. How am I doing so far?”

“Pretty good,” Daniel managed, before his throat closed against the overwhelming emotions fighting his control. He closed his eyes again, until he felt that he might be able to breathe without breaking. “When will this all be over?”

“Soon, Daniel. A day or two. And it will be over. I promise you that. Your friends are here, and they want to help. Will you let them?”

“I guess so, but…”

“But, what?”

“I can leave?”

“I want you to stay somewhere close, where we can get to you if you need us.”

“Where’s Jack?”

Jack must have been hovering just outside the enclosure, despite instructions, because he stepped inside immediately. “I’m here, Daniel.”

“I want to go somewhere safe, somewhere quiet. Not a VIP room, though.”

“I’ve got just the place, Daniel. It’s as safe as you can get. We can go whenever you’re ready.”

“Is it far? I don’t think I can make it very far.”

“Just a short ride away. Here.”

Daniel opened his eyes and turned toward Jack. He was standing there with a wheelchair. Daniel eyed it warily. “Trust me, Daniel.”

Janet and Jack helped Daniel out of the bed into the wheelchair.   Jack pushed him out into the hallway, and down to the elevator. Neither man talked until they stopped in front of a door in the middle of a hallway full of doors. Daniel looked up at Jack with a question in his eyes.

“This is the safest place I know of, Daniel,” and Jack pushed open the door to Teal’c’s room. The Jaffe stood in the middle of the room that was gently lit with fragrant candles.   “Welcome, DanielJackson. I will be honored to have you recuperate in my room.   And I do assure you, that you will be completely safe here.” Jack wheeled Daniel over to the bed, and helped him lie down. Daniel couldn’t help himself. The tears came, and he was powerless to stop them. Jack gently covered him, and stroked his shoulder.   “Sh, it’s OK Daniel, you’re safe now.”   Jack moved away and Teal’c sat down with his back against the bed, keeping watch for his friend. Daniel drifted off to sleep.

A little while later, he floated back to wakefulness as a weight settled on the bed, and a hand softly brushed the hair back from his face.

“Oh, look at him. If I ever get my hands on Maybourne before the Colonel…” The voice trailed off.

Daniel blinked sleepily. “Sam?   That you?”

“Yeah, just came by to check in on you. How…how’s it going?”

“I’m sleeping. Hey, Sam?”

“What, Daniel?”

“Did Jack tell you my car blew up?”

“No, your car blew up? What happened?”

“I don’t know, the engine light and oil light came on, and then I almost hit that cop, and it blew up. Can you look at it for me?”

Sam smiled. Daniel was very obviously still groggy, whether from the Seconal he had been given, or just the general chemical cocktail still plaguing his system.

“Sure, Daniel, when you feel better, we’ll check it out.”

“I love that car, Sam. It’s my very first car, all my own.” Daniel’s eyes had closed again, and within a minute his soft snores told her that he was back asleep.

Much later, low voices woke Daniel up again. His head felt much clearer, although he still felt hung over.   He listened for a few minutes, trying to pick up the gist of the conversation.  
“I really do not understand this, Major Carter.” Teal’c was saying. “Why would General Hammond wish to gnaw on Colonel O’Neill’s ‘butt’?”

“No, no. He’s going to ‘chew his butt’, Teal’c. That’s just an expression, meaning that Colonel O’Neill is in trouble. He’s getting ‘his butt chewed’ or a ‘chewing out’.   That’s when your boss or someone over you yells at you a lot.”

“I still do not understand why Colonel O’Neill is at fault for this situation.”

Daniel sat up. “Whoa, whoa.   What are you guys talking about?   Is Jack in trouble?”

Sam and Teal’c whirled around to look at Daniel. Sam came over to sit by him on the bed, chewing her lip.   “Yeah, the Colonel’s in trouble.   So are Janet, and Mackenzie, and a lot of other people, including the General. This whole thing has turned into a big, huge mess. We’re all on stand-down until it gets resolved.”

“Not because of what I did, surely?” Daniel said shakily.

“Lots of mistakes were made, Daniel. And if we’re going to learn from them, we have to acknowledge them and examine them, and make sure they don’t happen again.”

The door to Teal’c’s room opened, and Jack stuck his head in.   “Hi, honey. I’m home!”

His eyes lit on Daniel sitting up in bed. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty!” He winked at Sam. “Did your Princess Charming plant a big, wet one on you, bring you back to the land of the living?”

“Jack, Sam told me you got in trouble over all this. Is that true? Are they blaming you for something I did?”

“Slow down, I don’t know if we need to get into all this right now.”   Jack looked at Daniel’s anxious face.   “Ok, we do. But let’s do it over something to eat. I feel like I lost about ten pounds today.” Jack comically craned his neck, trying to look at his backside.   Teal’c stepped up behind Jack and peered critically at him. “No, O’Neill, I would estimate eight pounds, only.”

Jack gaped at him. “Teal’c, if I didn’t know better,” he stopped at the sight of the raised eyebrow.   “Never mind. Daniel, you feel like getting up for a while?” When he nodded, Jack continued. “OK, I’ll get you a change of clothes, you get cleaned up, and we’ll go down to the commissary. Get something to eat, and I can fill everyone in at once.”

“You may use my facilities, DanielJackson, I believe you will find everything you will need in there.”

“Uh, just a minute.” Jack walked over to Daniel, “Let me see your hands.”

Daniel held his hands out, and Jack looked critically at the tremors still evident. “Teal’c, I don’t suppose you have an electric shaver? I don’t think we’re ready for really sharp objects yet.”

“There’s one in my office, Jack, if you can get it for me.” Daniel wasn’t going to object to or protest over anything Jack said at this point, until he had found out more about what was going on. 

“I’ll get the shaver,” Sam offered. Daniel told her where to find it, then got unsteadily to his feet. Teal’c put out a hand to steady him. It took him a moment, but he found his balance and moved carefully across the room.

Clean, shaved, and in fresh clothing, Daniel felt a thousand percent better.   Sam and Jack had waited in Teal’c’s room until he was all ready, then they all headed toward the commissary.   

Jack looked at the large coffee and small roll Daniel had selected, but refrained from making any comment. Daniel probably knew better what his stomach would tolerate at this point, and neither Janet nor Dr. Warner had put any restrictions on his coffee intake.   Sam, Teal’c and Jack all grabbed sandwiches and chips. They picked a table back in the corner, and all sat down together.

Daniel sipped his coffee, an expression of bliss on his face. He buttered his roll, and set it back down on his plate.   “So, what’s all this I’m hearing about a mess, and you being in trouble?” He looked directly at Jack.

“Ok, guys, here is the situation. A lot of mistakes have been made in the past week, and they need to be addressed.   Now, no one is being written up or busted, so don’t get your knickers in a twist. There are two main areas of concern, base security and medical/psychological evaluations.” Jack paused and stuffed the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth. “First off, base security. Daniel, once you were taken out of here strapped on a stretcher, all the codes should have been changed, and your security clearance should have been revoked.   When you came back in here, even though you were with me, you should have been escorted by two armed security people.   And they should have been with you the whole time, which means there is no way you should have been able to just waltz out of here and take off on your little joyride.” As Daniel opened his mouth to interject something, Jack held up his hand. “No, don’t even start. No one is blaming you for any of this. Of all the people involved, you are the ultimate innocent bystander.   There are procedures in place, and those procedures were not followed, by General Hammond or me or anyone else involved.

“Secondly, medical and psychological evaluations. We have got to keep in mind, in the very front of our minds, that every day we are dealing with aliens and alien technology. We have no idea what to expect from one minute to the next, and we have got to remember that we cannot apply normal standards to problems that come up here.

“Daniel was infected with, or rather, invaded by an alien organism or device, whatever you want to call it. As a result, his judgement was compromised, both by the device and the drugs that were given to him at the hospital.

“So, our punishment is, that our policies and procedures will undergo a thorough review by two committees. I am heading up the committee looking at security, both of the base and of our people working here. Janet will head up the committee looking at medical procedures. And, that’s the end of that story.”

Daniel had been looking at his plate and shredding his roll for most of Jack’s speech. He finally looked up, and cleared his throat.

Jack scowled. “Daniel, I know what you are going to say. And don’t even go there. Like I said, no one is blaming you for any of this. Even me, even for that little stunt you pulled when you left. In fact, I understand it. I need to say this to you, to all of you, and you need to listen to me. The welfare of this team rests squarely on my shoulders, and I take that responsibility very seriously. Daniel, there’s no way I could have prevented you’re getting infected, I know that.   But once your symptoms started, I should have paid more attention to the information I had available. You should never have been taken out of this facility.   And, once back in this facility, knowing what you had just been through, you should never have left my sight.   I want to apologize to you, Daniel, personally, and to the whole team. I feel like I’ve let you all down.”

Daniel cleared his throat. “My turn now.” He looked at each of them, eyes misting. Damn these drugs, he would be so happy when he had some measure of self-control back. “We are a team, Jack, you have that right. And even though you are the leader, we all have a responsibility, too, for each other, as well as for ourselves, personally. My mistake was in thinking I could, or should, try to handle this alone. I should have trusted you guys, and come to you, instead of running away. So, I’m sorry, too.”

“Daniel, you’re judgement was still impaired,” Sam said. “We should have made sure that you would be safe, even from yourself. I agree with the Colonel. You were still under the influence of all those medications,” she shuddered, “and Teal’c was sick, so he’s in the clear, too. Sir,” she turned toward O’Neill, “as your second, I feel responsible, also.”

“Oh, for cryin’ out loud!” Jack exploded. “Would you look at all of us here? I need to go change into my fishing boots, it’s getting so deep.   Look, mistakes were made. We’ll learn from them. I’ll be stuck reviewing and rewriting all our procedures, and your punishment, Major, is that you’re gonna help me. Now, we really have more important things to talk about here.   Daniel, what happened to your car?”

**The End**

  


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> I know there are lots of these, just my ramblings. I still find this to be a very powerful episode. Also, I have been in Law Enforcement for about 20 years, so no offense toward that profession could ever be intended. Feedback appreciated, this  
> is my first, so be gentle, be kind, but above all be honest!

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> October 14, 2001 This story is written entirely for entertainment and is not intended as an infringement against the copy written material that belongs solely to Showtime, MGM/UA, Gekko Films, et al. The following story is the property of the author and is not to be copied, or published without the express, written consent of the author.

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